Many watercraft are provided with an electronic sonar system such as a depth finder or a fish finder. These systems usually include a disc shaped piezoelectric transducer element acoustically coupled to the surrounding water for generating soundwaves in the water. Typically the transducer element is mounted to the inside surface of the hull for protection, or extends into the water either through a hole in the hull or from a bracket on the stern of the hull. In each mounting arrangement, the transducer element is preferably aimed vertically downwardly into the water for optimum performance.
Transducer elements which are mounted inside the hull are typically enclosed within a housing bonded to the interior surface of the hull. The transducer element is encapsulated and suspended within the housing with potting material. The transducer element is oriented relative to the housing in a manner to aim the transducer element vertically downward. The bottom of the housing is sometimes angled to approximately match the hull deadrise angle so that a wedge-shaped region of potting material is formed between the transducer element and the bottom of the housing.